Wednesday 16 November 2011 12.39 EST
First published on Wednesday 16 November 2011 12.39 EST

For 134 years Mancunians have stared at the clock tower on the Alfred Waterhouse-designed town hall, one of the city's most famous buildings, and been left to wonder what the views are like 280ft above the bustling shoppers of Albert Square.

But from Thursday visitors will be able to follow a tour guide up the narrow, winding stone stairway to the bell tower. And should the skies be clear, they can take in the views over the Pennines and the plains of Cheshire.

There will also be vistas of Salford's growing MediaCity, the football stadiums of Old Trafford in the south-west and the Etihad in the east, Exchange Square's Wheel of Manchester, and the Central Library – which currently has its roof off for refurbishment, giving it the appearance of an amphitheatre.

The tour will let visitors take a close look at the clock's mechanism and8-tonne Great Abel bell, named after Mayor Abel Heywood, who opened the hall in 1877 after Queen Victoria refused to attend the opening. The original Great Abel bell cracked soon after it was installed, so in 1937 it was recast and made heavier.

The clock was made by Gillet and Bland of Croydon and is the largest in the UK outside London. A galvometer sends a time signal from Greenwich, so the clock, wound weekly, is always accurate.

Manchester's Grade I-listed town hall is considered one of the finest achievements of neo-gothic Victorian architecture, designed by Alfred Waterhouse and constructed from Yorkshire Sprinkwell sandstone.

Manchester councillor Mike Amesbury said: "Over the years many Mancunians and visitors to our city must have wondered what the view is like from our iconic clock tower, and pondered its inner workings. Now they really can see for themselves."

Tours cost £7.50 and will initially run to 22 December, though it is hoped that they will subsequently become a permanent fixture for visitors.